Iconic Taco Bell Chihuahua dies

Los Angeles County

Robert Jablon, Associated Press

Published
4:00 am PDT, Thursday, July 23, 2009

This undated image provided by Studio Animal Services shows Gidget the Chihuahua, whose Taco Bell commercials made her a star, suffered a massive stroke Tuesday July 21, 2009 at her trainer's home in Santa Clarita, Calif., and had to be euthanized. less

This undated image provided by Studio Animal Services shows Gidget the Chihuahua, whose Taco Bell commercials made her a star, suffered a massive stroke Tuesday July 21, 2009 at her trainer's home in Santa ... more

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This undated image provided by Studio Animal Services shows Gidget the Chihuahua, whose Taco Bell commercials made her a star, suffered a massive stroke Tuesday July 21, 2009 at her trainer's home in Santa Clarita, Calif., and had to be euthanized. less

This undated image provided by Studio Animal Services shows Gidget the Chihuahua, whose Taco Bell commercials made her a star, suffered a massive stroke Tuesday July 21, 2009 at her trainer's home in Santa ... more

Photo: AP

Iconic Taco Bell Chihuahua dies

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Gidget the Chihuahua, the bug-eyed, big-eared star of 1990s Taco Bell commercials who was a diva on and off the screen, has died. She was 15.

Gidget suffered a massive stroke late Tuesday night at her trainer's home in Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) and had to be euthanized, said Karin McElhatton, owner of Studio Animal Services in Castaic, which owned the dog.

Although she was hard of hearing, Gidget was otherwise in good health up to the day of her death, eating well and playing with her favorite squeaky toys at the home of trainer Sue Chipperton, McElhatton said.

"She was retired. She lived like a queen, very pampered," McElhatton said.

Gidget was found at a kennel and wasn't show quality, McElhatton said; she had an undershot jaw and huge ears.

But Gidget knew she was a star, McElhatton said. "She was a prima donna, basically. She absolutely knew when she was on camera."

In a 1997 Taco Bell television commercial, Gidget was seen as a male dog who, through the magic of special effects and a voice actor, proclaims in a richly accented voice: "Yo quiero Taco Bell" - Spanish for "I want Taco Bell."

Viewers were charmed. What was supposed to be a single ad became a campaign that ran from 1997 to 2000.

In later years, she did other acting work, appearing in a 2002 commercial for the insurance company Geico and in the 2003 movie "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde."